Xizhou Qu (1)
Emperor Gan Ping's eyes flashed with surprise for a moment. "Back then, Wen Qing and Pei Zheng both died on the battlefield. I naturally believed that they would never collaborate with the enemy and betray the country. Unfortunately, eleven years have passed, and there is no evidence or proof. Re-investigating this case is impossible."
At that time, Wen Liang said that he would call for reinforcements and return to the capital to report in advance. However, the Mo family never saw any sign of reinforcements until they died in battle. In the court, Emperor Gan Ping personally questioned Wen Liang, but he cleared himself of the responsibility.
The young man lowered his eyes, twitched his lips, and looked up at the aged emperor. "I don't have any wishes in this life. I just want to live a leisurely life."
The meaning of his words was clear: he just wanted to live a peaceful life for the rest of his life. Even if you offered me an official position, I wouldn't want to enter the palace. After a long silence, Emperor Gan Ping continued, "I heard that Yin Zhao has a lover. I wonder which girl has won the favor of our Yin Zhao."
Tang Xixu's eyelids twitched slightly, and he smiled faintly at the emperor's eyes, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, but there is a woman who is in love with me. She is just an ordinary woman and does not belong to any family."
"Now that your father and brother are gone, I will carry out your parents' orders and bring the girl to the palace for me to see someday."
"I will use tea instead of wine to thank Your Majesty." Tang Xixu raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
On the city wall, Emperor Gan Ping looked down at the young man leaving the palace. Li Dequan held his whisk and said, "Your Majesty can rest assured now. From what I can see today, Master Tangxi has no second thoughts."
Emperor Gan Ping stood with his hands behind his back, frowning as he looked at the distant sky that was turning white. "Don't underestimate the Mo family. Even though he can't find evidence now, it doesn't mean he won't in the future."
Li Dequan flattered, "It wasn't Your Majesty who put the Mo family to death back then. Even if he finds out, it has nothing to do with Your Majesty. Moreover, Your Majesty is the leader of Daxin. How dare others disobey Your Majesty's will?"
Emperor Gan Ping raised his eyebrows and flicked his sleeves, suddenly thinking of something, "Send someone to find out who the woman he likes is."
On the other side, on the wild river.
The soft moonlight reflected the trembling lake surface. One or two spacious carriages were parked by the lake. It was obvious that they belonged to a wealthy family.
Occasionally, a few birds flap their wings across the lake, and the coolness of the lakeside dispels the summer heat.
"Who are you? What do you want to do? Why did you tie me up?" Xu Ning's hands were tied and her eyes were covered with black cloth. She was awakened by the sound of frogs croaking.
A cold and soft fingertip slid along Xu Ning's cheek. Xu Ning frowned and couldn't help but tilt his head back.
Wen Liang's fox eyes narrowed into an arc, and a smile appeared on his handsome face. "Don't be afraid, Miss Xu. I just want to invite you to my home."
Xu Ning recalled the familiar voice, "Are you Wen Liang?"
"I didn't expect Miss Xu still remembered Wen."
Xu Ning sneered, "You're really lucky. Even though your affair with Concubine Shen was exposed in public, His Majesty didn't chop off your head."
If anyone else had spoken to Wen Liang like that, he would have slapped them to death. However, Wen Liang didn't get angry. He leaned over and put his face in front of Xu Ning. "Are you not afraid of me anymore? You still dare to speak to me like that. I'm very happy."
A cold yet somewhat gentle breath blew towards him, and Xu Ning turned his head away.
Wen Liang smiled faintly, still looking at her, "Concubine Shen and I have never had an affair. Only a fool like Wen Yan would do such a thing. He even committed suicide with her. How ridiculous."
"Only cold-hearted people like you don't understand what love is." Xu Ning said coldly.
"Those who achieve great things don't need love. I have power and status, and that's enough."
Xu Ning thought for a while, wanting to verify what he was thinking before saying, "You are not a member of the Wen family, not from the beginning."
Wen Liang raised his lips and said with satisfaction: "Yes, you are a smart child. It was indeed not the case from the beginning. It was me who entered the palace to assist Emperor Gan Ping, and it was him, Wen Yan, who was hanging out with Concubine Shen."
Xu Ning listened, analyzing the current situation in his mind, and ignored Wen Liang.
Wen Liang continued, "I didn't expect that after more than ten years, Miss Xu still remembered me."
Xu Ning came back to her senses and asked doubtfully: "Do you remember me?" According to Guangyu's previous statement, her second visit to Tangxixu was a restart of the past and no one would remember it, but it was obvious that Wen Liang remembered her.
"Of course I remember. Eleven years ago in Ye County, you got lost and I was the one who sent you back." The cold long fingers warmed up a little and stroked Xu Ning's cheek again.
"I'm very curious why you were so afraid of me when you first saw me. It was clearly the first time we met." Wen Liang pushed away the black cloth on Xu Ning's face and met the girl's wary eyes.
The lake's light was reflected in the woman's eyes.
"Forget it. If you don't want to talk, I won't force you. Let me introduce myself again. I am Su Wujin, the legitimate prince of the Xizhou royal family."
"Xizhou has actually extended its hand to the Daxin Imperial Court. Xizhou's ambitions are quite significant." Xu Ning's eyes suddenly brightened, and he asked in a cold voice, "Was the Mo family incident also related to you?"
Wen Liang frowned, paused for a moment and said, "No."
"What about Daxin? How many people in the court are familiar with him?"
Su Wujin's eyes suddenly turned cold, but the corners of his mouth still had a smile on their faces. "Do you think I will tell you?"
"Oh, then it seems there aren't many people. Emperor Gan Ping, no, he's not stupid enough to let someone from another family have such great power in the court. So the Wen family is just a pawn of yours. You entered the palace under the identity of Wen Yan, and when Emperor Gan Ping found out, you claimed to be his brother. The Wen family knew all along and have been secretly helping you."
"You're right. The Wen family has always been Xizhou's secret agent in Xin State. As their master, I'm just borrowing their identity."
Xu Ning's pupils dilated, and in a moment he felt ironic that the eunuch who was so powerful around Emperor Daxin was actually a foreigner, and a prince at that.
Su Wuji's gaze never left her, but the corners of his lips rose higher and higher.
Shocked, Xu Ning was speechless and stopped asking who the traitor in Xinchao was. If he didn't tell her, she wouldn't be able to find out.
"You'd better not be involved in the Mo family incident, otherwise Ah Xu and I will not let you go." Xu Ning's expression suddenly became cold and his eyes were firm.
Su Wujin sighed, "Why is it Ah Xu again? His name is Tangxi Xu."
"That's what I'd like to call him."
Su Wujin looked at the little girl in front of him who was arguing with him, and he couldn't help laughing.
"I have a name in the Central Plains called Liang. You can call me Liang."
Xu Ning said sullenly, "I'm not familiar with you, why are you calling me by your given name? And why are you arresting me when we have no grudges against each other?"
Su Wujin narrowed his eyes. Unfamiliar? That's right. If he hadn't been in a hurry to return to the royal court and Xu Qiubai hadn't been blocking his way, there wouldn't have been any chance for him, Tang Xixu.
"It doesn't matter. The journey to Xizhou is long. We can get to know each other slowly." Su Wujin smiled lightly without any anger.
Xu Ning found the right moment to break free from the rope and escape, but he was surrounded before he had run a few miles.
"Su Zhanfeng?"
The man in black knife facing him dusted off his hands and said, "I have been planning to capture you for a long time. How can I let you escape so easily?"
The martial arts level of these two people was higher than hers. Xu Ning was unable to defeat them and tried to escape into the water. As soon as she stretched out her front hand, her back foot was grabbed by someone.
This man was very strong, and Xu Ning fell back and landed on Su Wujin's arm.
"You said you weren't familiar with me, but I see Miss Xu is throwing herself into my arms."
Xu Ning blushed and stood up. "What are you talking about? I have a lover."
"You said it's just a sweetheart, not a husband."
Xu Ning crossed his arms, turned around and got back into the carriage.
Su Wujin sat back down and asked, "Why don't you run away?"
"I'm not stupid. I can't fight or run away. You don't look like you're going to hurt me. Since you invited me to Xizhou, I'll go and take a look."
Su Wujin stroked the teacup, his eyes fixed on Xu Ning.
Xu Ning met the fox eyes and asked, "Why did you take me to Xizhou? I am a weak woman, going so far alone, I must have some ideas."
Su Wujin took a look at her and thought, how could a woman who could beat his right-hand man Wen Ran to the point of breaking his meridians be considered a weak woman?
"There's a man who really wants to see you. He was in a coma for many years and woke up six months ago. He specifically asked to see you."
Xu Ning was puzzled and looked at Su Wujin with a puzzled look. She really couldn't remember who that person was, and she didn't see this special person in the original owner's information.
Seeing that she didn't believe him, Su Wujin said, "I, Su Wujin, never lie."
Xu Ning was half-believing and half-doubting, as he was at the mercy of others and had no choice but to trust him.
"Then you have to tell me who this 'he' is. Otherwise, even if I follow you to Ah Xu and learn that I'm missing, they will definitely find out about Xizhou. Even your Nanjiao can do it."
Su Wujin's eyebrows twitched suddenly. That madman Tang Xixu could really do it when he was forced into a corner. Back then, he had stepped on the skull of the former Lord of Buhuo City to sit in that position.
He calmed down, "The leader of the Lieyin Sect—Ye Yulan."
Xu Ning's eyes, which were closed in a doze, suddenly opened.
…
Hua Xing knew that Tang Xixu would be back today, so he woke up early at the door of his bedroom. It was not until dusk that he saw the young man's dark blue figure.
"You're finally back." Hua Xing then handed a letter to Tang Xixu.
Written by Ah Xu himself. This is Xu Ning’s handwriting.
I have an important business to attend to and will be back in about two months. Don't worry.
"When was this letter received?"
"Last night, when I was walking back, a feathered arrow was lodged in the door of your chamber."
There was a dark blade totem painted on the envelope, and Tang Xixu suddenly thought of something.
He hurried to the bedroom and took out the Liquan gun.
"Whatever you do, Buhuo City cannot provoke a fight with Anfeng without solid evidence." This was the consensus reached by Su Zhanfeng and Tang Xixu a long time ago.
"He secretly snatched my wife who was not yet married, so why can't I do the same?" Tang Xixu paused, put away the silver spear and put it behind him. The moonlight splashed onto the ground along the young man's silver-patterned mask, and he spoke in a cold and disdainful tone.
There must be a reason why Xu Ning wrote this letter to him. She would never leave suddenly.
Su Zhanfeng once claimed that someone wanted to buy Xu Ning, so he might know the truth.
The Dark Front's main hall was located in a dark place. Tang Xixu rushed into the main hall with great momentum. He grabbed a small follower and said, "Where is your leader? Let him come out to see me."
The sight of the silver-striped mask frightened the little henchman to the point of weakness. The tip of the Liquan spear was still dripping with blood, and the henchman slurred his words, "Our leader, he, he left two or three months ago and hasn't come back since."
Tang Xixu put away his gun and immediately launched a fierce palm strike, knocking the minion into a stone wall two or three miles away. The wall cracked and the minion fell to the ground, clutching his chest and spitting blood. "I, I really don't know."
Tang Xixu then left.
"Lord Wen is so angry that he has to vent his anger on me, An Feng." A man in white clothes with flowing sleeves around his waist flew over from a distance.
Tang Xixu was too lazy to waste time talking to him. His voice was cold and emotionless. "Where is Su Zhanfeng?"
The next second, the gun tip was placed on Shen Heshui's neck, and the cold tip of the gun lightly touched the skin.
"Speak." The tip of the gun moved closer to the neck.
This Chen Heshui is also a coward. He confessed as soon as he got close to me. "Tell me, tell me, I'll tell you."
"After he captured Xu Ning, he went to Xizhou with the Southern Sect member."
"Smell the coolness?"
"Yes, yes, that's him. He said he was going to meet someone. He wanted to see our leader too, so he went along."
The few people guarding the gate of Dark Front were not dead, but they were seriously injured. I'm afraid they will not be able to go on missions for half a year.
…
"Are you really going to Xizhou?" Yuwen Xin poured a cup of tea.
Tang Xixu took a sip of tea and said, "I must go."
"Judging from this letter, Xu Ning should be safe for the time being." Pei Yuanchi read the letter carefully.
"It's not just for her. I've found some clues about what happened back then in the past few days. It's in Xizhou."
Tang Xixu thought of something else, "Oh right, why did Wen Liang go to Xizhou?"
Yuwen Xin said, "Not long after you left, Wen Liang informed my father that he had found traces of the Wu people in Xizhou. Legend has it that the Wu people possess a method of immortality."
The Wu clan, speaking of this person, Tang Xixu has an old friend in the Wu clan, and it seems that he hasn't seen him for a long time.
It seems that I have to go to Xizhou.
Tang Xixu tapped the bluestone table with his index finger, and thought of something else. "Han Li hates Nanyang Marquis so much, so let's add more fuel to the fire and see if someone will jump out when the fire gets too intense."
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